Episode 3x11
by budro12690
Summary: Danny is stranded in the Rift Valley millions of years in the past, Connor and Abby are stuck in the Cretaceous Era where carnivorous dinosaurs flourish, but Sarah's got a plan…
1. Chapter 1

-Chapter 1-

Danny stared down at his empty hands, his eyes stinging and his throat tightening as he fought against panic. Leaning forward on his knees, he reached out to steady himself on the dusty ground and forced himself to breathe.

His head began to clear after a moment, and he slowly rose to his feet. The sun was hot on the back of his neck and he moved instinctively for the shade of a nearby tree, shrugging off his backpack and fishing out his water bottle as he sat down on a boulder. He stared blankly at the spot where the anomaly had disappeared, his panic slowly fading to lethargy. _Well, _he thought, _at least I don't have to worry about Helen anymore._

"Helen," he said aloud, a hopeful thought suddenly occurring to him.  
_  
Helen had an anomaly opening device._

Dropping his pack in the excitement, Danny hurried over the prehistoric terrain to where Helen lay dead at the bottom of a cliff.

He skidded to his knees in front of her body and began searching her pockets for the device. Panic started to seep back in as he searched and re-searched her clothes, turning her over to survey the ground underneath and hunting the surrounding area.

It wasn't there.

"NO!" Danny yelled. It _had _to be there. He'd seen her with it, he _knew_ she had it! She must have dropped it somewhere. Danny began retracing his steps back up the cliff she had fallen from and through the rocky gorge to where the anomaly was. He traveled slowly, searching the sparse underbrush on either side of his path.

When he reached the site of the anomaly he began to give up, realizing she must have dropped the device on the other side. He searched the area anyway, then branched off in a few other directions in case she had taken a different to route to the place he'd found her. After some minutes of rechecking the anomaly site again, he sat down by his pack and pulled out a couple of energy bars as the sun began to set.

Surveying his surroundings, he noticed an outcropping on a cliff nearby that would provide a decent amount of shelter without blocking his view of the anomaly in case it reopened. Once he finished his scanty meal, he slung the backpack over one shoulder and headed off toward a restless night's sleep on a pile of rocks millions of years from home.

o0o

Abby shifted against the branch she was leaning on, grunting as a sharp piece of bark dug into her side. Connor grunted in reply across from her and rolled over, nearly rolling right out of the tree.

"Connor!" Abby gasped as she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

He jerked upright and away from the edge of the branch. "What, what is it?" He said groggily, looking around for the source of his awakening through squinted eyes.

"I thought you were gonna fall."

"Oh."

Connor yawned and moved to lie back down. Abby sat up and stretched her sore muscles.

"We might as well get up, Connor, it's starting to get light out."

"Mm hmm," he mumbled, half asleep.

"C'mon, we have to look for Danny!"

"I'm up, I'm up!" He protested as she reached over to shake him by the shoulder.

They checked the ground beneath them for Cretaceous predators, and gingerly lowered their aching bodies down the slim trunk of the pine tree.

Connor reached the bottom first, landing a little too hard on both feet. He let out a sharp "Ow!" as he drew up his injured leg.

"That ankle still hurting you?" Abby asked as she jumped the last few feet to the ground.

Connor nodded and picked up the walking stick he'd left at the base of the tree, leaning heavily onto it.

"Can you still walk?"

"I think so," he grunted, a pained grimace on his face.

Abby surveyed the area around them. "Danny and Helen went that way," she said, and took off in the direction she was pointing, shouldering her backpack.

"Abby," Connor moaned after her, "Do ya think we could have something to eat first?"

Abby sighed and turned back. "On the go, then, yeah? If Danny hasn't come back through yet he might be in trouble."

She dug some food out of her backpack and tossed a packet to Connor, who struggled to catch and open it while keeping his grip on the walking stick.

When he finally got it open, Abby was already eating hers and marching toward where their friend had disappeared while chasing Helen the night before.

It was easy enough to follow Danny and Helen's footprints on the pine needle-strewn ground, and they hadn't walked far when they came upon a small clearing. The footprints ended abruptly in the center, and an anomaly opening device was lying nearby, half hidden by a fallen log.

"That must be Helen's," Abby said, picking up the device and handing it to Connor. "Guess she dropped it on her way through here."

Connor examined the gadget closely. "I think it still works." He looked up to meet Abby's eyes and she nodded slightly.

They turned to face the spot where the footprints ended, and Connor activated the device.

o0o

Becker looked at Sarah questioningly. "What idea?" he asked.

Without another word, she turned and headed out of the garage. Becker motioned at his men to keep an eye on the anomaly and turned to follow her.

She climbed into the truck they had come in and waited for Becker to get in through the passenger side. He didn't ask again for her to explain herself, just buckled up and arranged his rifle safely in his lap.

Sarah drove them back to tZhe Arc and headed straight for Lester's office. She walked in without knocking, but waited for him to hang up his phone before speaking. Becker followed silently behind her.

"Yes, Miss Page?" Lester asked with an exasperated expression, "What is so devastatingly important that you felt the need to burst into my office unannounced?"

"Connor, Abby, and Danny still haven't come back through the Future anomaly."

"So I've noticed. You couldn't tell me this over the phone?"

"Listen, I think I know how to help get them back. You speak to the Minister regularly, yeah?"

Lester massaged the bridge of his nose. "I don't think I like where this is going."

"Call him up, and request full armed forces to go through the anomaly and secure the area. If the others are still wandering around the Future after Helen, they're going to need protection from the Predators. They could be waiting just on the other side of the anomaly, but can't reach it without backup. The Arc doesn't have the munitions to launch a rescue mission, but with the full force of Britain's military, they could stand a chance."

"Are you out of your mind?" Lester stared at her incredulously. "You honestly want me to 'call up' my superior and ask him to sanction this little scheme of yours in which the entire British military is sent through an anomaly after your coworkers, who are currently chasing a veritable madwoman through time?"

"Exactly."

Lester glanced at Becker, who shrugged noncommittally.

"Right, then, the plan is foolproof; what could possibly go wrong?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at Lester's sarcasm. "Helen has to be stopped. She took the artifact. She took Christine Johnson and had her killed by a Predator. She murdered Cutter in this very building! She's been sabotaging the Arc's operations for years, and now our top three team members are out there on their own trying to stop her and you don't think it's worth troubling the Minister? Don't you think he'd be the slightest bit interested in putting a stop to Helen Cutter's interference once and for all?"

Lester glared at Sarah, biting back another snide remark. Finally, he grabbed the phone from its cradle and barked into the receiver.

"Get me the Minister."


	2. Chapter 2

-Chapter 2-

A brilliant, fragmented sphere of light suddenly burst forth in front of them. Connor glanced at Abby again, and they stepped through the anomaly together.

It was much brighter on the other side, and they stood blinking in the sunlight for a few moments while their eyes adjusted. They eventually started to make out their surroundings, but there wasn't much to see.

Connor scanned the barren, rocky environment for signs of life while Abby knelt to look for footprints.

"Someone's definitely been here," she said without looking up. "There are tracks everywhere, all confused and overlapping. I can't tell which way they went."

Connor squinted toward a cliff face that was shadowed by the rising sun. "I think there's something moving around in there."

"Ey?" Abby stood and peered in the direction he was looking, shadowing her eyes with her hand.

"I think it's… a person."

Abby was about to suggest that they take cover so the mysterious figure wouldn't see them before they identified it, when suddenly they heard a familiar voice shout their names.

"It's Danny!" Connor exclaimed, and ran as best as his ankle would allow to meet Danny as he climbed down from the outcropping.

"Boy am I glad to see you two," Danny said as Abby hugged him enthusiastically. "Company's been rather bleak out here."

Now that they knew Danny was unharmed, Connor starting looking around warily as if expecting an attack from the bushes. "Where's Helen?"

"Dead."

"Oh. Can't say I'm heartbroken, but…"

Danny let out a harsh laugh, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Connor, is the device still working?" Abby asked suddenly.

"Uh… nope." He smacked the gadget with the palm of his hand. "I think opening the anomaly must have drained the last of its power supply."

"That anomaly doesn't stay open for long on its own," Danny said. "Found that out the hard way."

"Okay, let's go." Abby began to turn around.

Just then, the tone of the anomaly detector in Connor's pocket changed and the sphere's light began to dim.

"It's closing!" Danny yelled as the other two spun in the anomaly's direction. They began to run. They were only a few meters away, but the terrain was rough and the light was flickering erratically now.

Suddenly Connor fell, his bad ankle giving out as he struggled to keep up with the others. Danny and Abby each grabbed an arm and practically leapt through the anomaly, dragging Connor with them. As they hit the ground on the other side, the light flashed bright and then went out.

o0o

Becker inspected the camp's security, posting additional soldiers at the main entrance and checking that the sonar-detecting oscilloscope was functioning properly. The abandoned two-story building they'd established as base of operations was not as sound as he would have liked, but it would have to do.

Lester had finally convinced the Minister to send as many men as could be spared for the operation, and a rough plan was quickly outlined based on what Becker had seen during his previous excursion through the Future anomaly. The troops were then assembled at the racetrack garage where the anomaly was located, and after a camera had been sent through to ensure there was no immediate threat, they began to march.

Any piece of weaponry that would fit through the flickering orb was brought in; everything from semiautomatic rifles to anti-aircraft missiles. There would be other vermin to deal with besides the Future Predators, but most of their strategy was focused on defending themselves from the deformed ape-like creatures.

Four search parties were sent after Danny, Connor, and Abby in different directions. Several other teams kept watch on the perimeter of the camp, and the rest of the men focused on soundproofing the building as best they could against the Predators' bat-like senses.

They'd had little trouble so far, mostly from the 2 meter long flying insects that had been nesting on the far side of the building. The bugs weren't difficult to dispatch. There were no casualties among Becker's men as of yet, and no sign of the Predators, although the sonar detector had gone off briefly just after they'd arrived.

The search parties soon returned with the shotgun Becker had given to Danny, but no sign of where the ex-cop or his young companions had disappeared to. He would send another team out in an hour's time. There was no activity on the oscilloscope or anomaly detectors, so the soldiers took their positions near slits in the blocked up windows to wait, silently watching the shadows for signs of movement.

o0o

Sarah checked her watch for the umpteenth time.

Becker had been gone since sunset the day before, and the others had been gone nearly 24 hours now. She chewed her finger nervously and paced in front of the locked anomaly. It had been her idea to lock it again, opening it for ten minutes every hour to see if anyone came through, but there had been no sign of her friends hour after hour and she was beyond worried.

She knew the anomaly had to stay locked as much as possible. Not only did it keep the Predators from getting through, but locking the anomalies was also the only way they'd found - besides Helen's mysterious new device - to keep them open longer. It was hard to lock the anomaly knowing her friends were somewhere on the other side, but it would be worse if it should close completely before they got back.

She checked her watch one more time.

_Finally! _Sarah turned to the soldier next to her.

"It's time."

The soldier nodded and his team raised their weapons as Sarah positioned her hand over the locking device. She counted to three aloud and pressed the button.

The round ball of light in front of her pulsed and hummed as electricity pumped into it and caused it to grow, shards of light shooting out in all directions as the anomaly unlocked.

Sarah stepped around the machine, searching through the uneven light hopefully. Five minutes passed. Then seven. Then nine. Finally the time was up. Crushed with disappointment and concern, Sarah slumped into a chair behind the soldiers and relocked the anomaly.

Then she checked her watch.


	3. Chapter 3

-Chapter 3-

"Well that was close," Connor said amusedly as they lay in a heap among the pine needles, catching their breath.

Abby scoffed and pushed him off her leg as Danny struggled to his feet. "Right," he said, "We should head back to the Future anomaly before it closes on us as well."

Abby stood and helped Connor pull himself up. He had bumped his bad ankle in the fall, and used it as an excuse to put an arm around Abby's shoulders. He smiled to himself as her arm circled his waist supportively. "Any idea which direction that's in?" he asked Danny.

"It should be that way," Abby said, pointing.

Danny took another look around the clearing and nodded. "I think you're right."

They set off through the trees at a moderate pace, alert and wary of their primitive surroundings. Each of them silently wondered what they would do if the anomaly was closed when they reached it.

They hadn't been walking for long when a chirping sound from a nearby thatch of bushes caught Abby's attention.

"Shh," she said as she froze, squeezing Connor's side so he would stop with her. She pointed toward the bushes. "I heard something in there."

Danny motioned for them to stay where they were and stepped toward where the sound had come from. He cautiously approached the thicket, grabbing a short, broad stick off the ground. He raised it like a club and lifted a branch on the nearest bush to peer underneath.

There was a sudden rustling and a shrill chirp as a bird-like creature ran out between Danny's legs. He jumped and raised the makeshift club over his head, turning to see where the animal had gone. It was very fast, and quickly ran past the three humans to hide behind a tree.

"I think that was some sort of dromaeosaurid," Connor said, staring after the creature. "A raptor."

"Raptor?" Danny said, "That thing's no bigger than a chicken."

"Maybe it's a baby," Abby suggested.

Connor released her shoulders and moved quietly towards the creature's hiding place. "No, it's fully grown. Might be an Archaeopteryx, though the wings didn't look quite as developed and there weren't enough feathers." He knelt on the ground a few feet from the tree. "Abby, hand me some food." She took off her backpack and knelt beside Connor, passing him a packet of trail mix. He shook some peanuts and raisons into his hand, holding it out toward the creature.

A tiny, lizard-like nose peaked around the tree and quickly pulled back in. Connor leaned forward, reaching his cupped hand after the retreating nose. "C'mon, little fella," he coaxed.

"We really don't have time for this," Danny said impatiently.

Connor looked over his shoulder at the older man. "This could be an undiscovered species," he said, "If I can just get a better look at it…" While his head was turned, the little nose reappeared and sniffed at his hand. Sharp little teeth suddenly pierced the skin and Connor jumped back with a yelp. He grasped the side of his hand where blood was already oozing from the wound and scooted backward on the ground.

The raptor crept around the edge of the tree, sniffing toward Connor. The course feathers along its back and shoulders rose, its two sickle claws twitching above the ground. Abby grabbed Connor's arm and helped him to his feet as the creature advanced.

"Let's go," she said, but it was too late.

o0o

Becker was scanning the perimeter from the top floor of the secured building when he heard a small clatter on the deserted street below him. He quickly looked toward where the sound had come from, but saw nothing. Continuing to watch the street for movement, he quietly issued orders through his headset for the soldiers stationed directly below him to report. When there was no answer, he motioned for one of the other men to take his place and headed downstairs.

All the doors to the outside had been securely bolted and most of the rooms with windows had been blocked off, save a few that were being used for surveillance. Everything seemed to be in order until Becker reached the hallway that was under the room he'd been in. The hall was narrow, with closets on either side, and ended with a door leading to the side yard. The two men who had been stationed there were gone and the door was open, a trail of blood glistening in the pale light on the floor.

Becker raised his weapon and slowly approached the doorway. He put his shoulder to the frame and peered around both sides into the haze. There was no sign of his men or of what had taken them. Keeping one finger on the trigger, he reached his free hand around and felt for the door. When he had pulled it halfway closed, there was a sudden jerk from the other side and he let go to aim his gun as a huge, snarling Predator swung into view. It launched itself at Becker and he was thrown back into the hall, accompanied by a loud crack and bright flash as the gun fired.

He hit the floor hard and his rifle was pinned against his chest as the Predator landed heavily on top of him. Several of his men came running around the corner, alerted by the sound of the shot. Two of them pulled him out from under the motionless creature, which had been killed instantly by Becker's pointblank shot.

Another soldier ran past them to close and bolt the door, and a fourth searched the closets. They were empty.

"Looks like there was only one," the soldier said.

"It was a scout." Becker brushed off the medic that was trying to flash a light in his eyes and stood. "It was testing our defenses; seeing how difficult it would be to break our perimeter. There are probably others out there watching our every move. This is their territory and they'll defend it just like any animal. They'll be gathering somewhere now. And then they'll attack."

o0o

The bushes behind them rattled and a dozen more of the tiny raptors emerged, hissing and tasting the blood on the air.

Abby picked up Connor's walking stick and held it defensively in front of them. They slowly backed towards Danny, who was a few meters away in the direction of the Future anomaly. Suddenly the detector in Connor's pocket started beeping. "The anomaly! It's open. Danny-" He moved so Danny could get the detector out of his jacket since he was still clutching his wounded hand.

"It's not far," Danny said as he examined the detector. "'Bout two-thirds a kilometer that way." He nodded in the general direction they were headed.

The raptors had been advancing slowly, and used this momentary distraction to suddenly surge forward as a group, heading straight for Connor. When the lead dinosaur was two meters away, it jumped, arching through the air at five times its height with claws extended. Abby swung the walking stick and smacked the creature like a baseball.

"Run!" she shouted, and pushed Connor ahead of her. Even if he hadn't twisted his ankle, he still would not have been able to outrun the raptors. The animals were small, but Connor had no doubt they could do just as much damage as a 3 ½ meter Deinonychus if given the chance. "We can't outrun them!" he yelled in desperation.

The miniature theropods split off and surrounded their prey, biting at legs and jumping on backpacks as Abby and Danny swung wildly. Every now and then they weren't quick enough and felt surprisingly powerful jaws clamp down on a wrist or ankle.

They moved as fast as they could toward the anomaly, but hadn't made it far when Abby lost her balance and fell. The raptors were on her before Connor and Danny had time to react, screeching in anticipation of their meal.

"Abby!" Connor yelled as he ran toward her. Picking up the walking stick where she'd dropped it, he began swinging at the swarming creatures. Abby had rolled into a ball with her legs tucked under her and her head between her knees, ducking in cover as the raptors tore at her clothes, searching for a way in to the soft flesh.

Danny was soon at her side as well, brandishing his club. As he bent over to grab at a raptor that was trying to bite Abby's neck, another one leapt over her and straight toward his face. As he leaned back in alarm and threw up a defensive arm, there was a sudden deafening blast as the creature jerked violently midair and fell senselessly to the ground.

Danny looked over his shoulder and saw Becker running toward them, gun in hand, with a small troop of soldiers at his heels. "Everyone plug your ears!" He yelled, and pulled out a stun grenade. Danny obeyed as he jumped out of Becker's way, looking to make sure Connor and Abby had heard him too. Becker pulled the pin and threw the grenade into the swarm of raptors. The earth seemed to shake as it detonated, causing Danny's vision to blur and go black.


	4. Chapter 4

-Chapter 4-

As his mental fog began to clear, Danny saw that Becker and the soldiers were already at Abby's side.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," she said as Connor fussed over her. She looked fairly shaken and was bleeding from several places on her arms and sides, but she was able to stand on her own and walk.

Danny stood slowly and joined them, still a little disoriented. Becker turned to him as the soldiers hastily bound Connor's hand and the worst of Abby's wounds. "Did you complete your mission?" he asked. Danny nodded. "Good. We need to move _now_."

Becker turned and motioned at his men, who surrounded the three civilians like prisoners. They moved as quickly as possible with the group's collective injuries toward the Future anomaly, which was now visible through the narrow tree trunks.

When they reached it, Becker signaled for them to stop. He motioned toward the anomaly and two of the soldiers stepped forward with guns raised, disappearing through the fragmented light. They returned moments later and nodded the "all clear."

Becker glanced at Danny, Connor, and Abby before the entire party moved silently forward to pass through the anomaly and into the Future. It was much darker than the Cretaceous, and not just because the anomaly had opened inside a building. The sky outside was overcast, and everything had a slightly fuzzy look, as if in perpetual fog.

Becker led the team through the empty building and into the street, moving quickly. Danny was wondering why he would lead them out into the open like that when he noticed the line of snipers across the rooftop of a building straight ahead. With the Future Predators lurking in the shadows, it was safer to walk in the open where the snipers would have a clear shot in the event of an attack.

As they approached the building, the door nearest them swung open to reveal another squad of heavily armed troops. The Arc team was whisked inside without a word and led to the center of the building. Becker and two of the soldiers showed them into a small room and bolted the door behind them. The room was lit with a single lantern hanging from a hook in the ceiling and there were crates of ammunition and military rations lining the walls, with a few empty ones arranged in a circle in the center of the floor.

"It should be safe to speak in here," Becker said, "As long as we keep our voices low." He gestured at the empty crates and the three travelers sat down gratefully. Becker turned to one of his men. "The last reconnaissance team should be back by now. Make sure everyone is ready to move as soon as Ms. Page unlocks the anomaly. We have thirteen minutes." The soldier nodded and left, the other bolting the door behind him before standing guard.

Becker turned back to Danny and the others. "You're lucky the second anomaly opened when it did; lucky my men and I were so close when we detected it. Why weren't you using the weapons I gave you?"

"We had to use the stun grenade on some raptors yesterday," Danny said, "And your gun…"

"Yes, my men found it in the building where that anomaly opened. Predators?"

Danny nodded.

"Well you're all going to need weapons to make it back to the first anomaly." Becker walked to the wall on his right and opened a crate, pulling out three pistols and handing one to each of them. Then he opened another and pulled out anti-stab vests. "We believe the Predators are assembling somewhere close by, preparing for an attack. It could be at any moment, so we have to get to the anomaly as quickly as possible. If you-" Just then there was a pounding at the door as the sound of machinegun fire reached them from across the building.

"Sir!" came the voice of the soldier who'd just left them, "We're under attack!"

o0o

"Wait here," Becker said to Danny, Connor, and Abby. He put his hand on the shoulder of the man guarding the door. "Stay with them." He unbolted the door and opened it enough to slip out into the clamor of battle outside.

Danny, Connor, and Abby looked at each other and stood to put on the vests and load their pistols. Several tense, silent moments passed between them before they heard two banging knocks on the door. The soldier opened it to reveal Becker, who was out of breath and covered in blood and gunpowder. "Everyone's in position," he said.

He motioned for them to follow and turned to lead them toward the building's front exit. The snipers from the roof and upper floor were downstairs and all the rooms on both levels were now boarded up, as well as the opening at the top of the stairs. The hall running the length of the first floor was packed with armed soldiers, all standing stoically in ranks despite the battle raging at the front doors. Anything they couldn't carry without losing maneuverability was left behind.

Becker marched Danny, Connor, and Abby toward the front of the line of troops. "They knew we'd be coming out the door closest to the anomaly," he said, referring to the Predators. "We're trying to lure them around back, but we're running out of time."

He left them to stand behind the soldiers from the Cretaceous and approached the sealed door. They'd already cleared all the old cars and debris out of the street in front of the building, so the anomaly was a straight shot. They just had to get through the Predators. Becker checked his watch and saw that the anomaly might already be unlocked; they had to move now. He signaled to his men and threw open the door.

o0o

There were Predators everywhere. The squadron of troops fighting them off had given up trying to draw them around the side of the building and was focused on simply keeping them away from the doors.

The rows of soldiers inside began pouring out as those already fighting pulled in to come up at the rear. Becker and his select team fronted the line with Danny, Connor, and Abby just behind, followed by everyone else. The men on the outer flanks had shields to protect the regiment from shrapnel and the claws of any Predators who managed to get too close.

They moved as quickly as they could toward the anomaly, pushing their way through the sea of creatures who were trying to cut them off. The pace was slowed somewhat by the difficulty of aiming at moving targets and running in tight ranks, but Connor was still struggling to keep up. Abby grabbed his elbow to keep him from stumbling, and Connor suddenly looked up in horror and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her with him to the ground.

They rolled into the legs of the soldiers behind them as the place where they had been was occupied by a snarling Predator that had leapt over the shields. It was slashing wildly at anything it could reach while a sea of weapons swung around to aim at it. Most of the soldiers surrounding the creature weren't in a position to fire since if they missed they'd hit one of their own, but from their position on the ground just meters from the beast, Connor and Abby had a clear shot.

Once the creature was down, several men stepped in to haul it back out of the way as Danny helped the others to their feet. "Nice shot," he said.

"Thanks very much."

Connor winced in pain as he tried to stand, accepting Abby's offer of support. The entire company had stopped when the creature broke their front ranks, taking the opportunity to set up and aim more complex weaponry to drive the Predators back.

Becker made his way toward the Arc team. "Are you three alright?"

"Never better," Danny said. "But we need to get everyone moving again. Make a final run for it."

Becker nodded in agreement. "The Predators should be driven far enough back now, but not for long. We'll need to move much faster this time to reach the anomaly before it locks." He whistled a command to the troops. Immediately, the heavy weapons were holstered and everyone was back in line as they prepared to run full speed for the anomaly. A few explosions were heard behind them as the soldiers in the rear threw grenades to cover their flight.

Becker reached the anomaly first and stood beside it as everyone else ran through, firing into the charging mass of Predators.


	5. Chapter 5

-Chapter 5-

Danny, Connor, and Abby stumbled out of the shards of white light and into the hands of more soldiers. They were pulled out of the way of the army at their heels and led around to the other side of the anomaly. Once ushered into a corner of the garage, they were immediately surrounded by paramedics and a slightly hysterical Sarah.

"I'm so glad you're back! Are you alright? Where's Becker? Did you find Helen? You were gone for so long! I was losing my mind back here. Did you stop her?" She continued on like this for some time as she tried to hug them through the paramedics and growing crowd of returning soldiers.

The three coworkers answered as best they could, unsure if they were making any sense or if Sarah could even hear them in the chaos.

"The anomaly'd been open for six minutes already when the first soldiers came through, I was about ready to give up hope again. You've no idea how glad I am to see you." She looked around the room now, searching the sea of uniforms. "Where's Becker?" She asked again.

"I dunno, he was right next to us when-" Connor was cut off by a shout from the direction of the anomaly.

"Lock it!" the voice yelled, and a small group of soldiers emerged through the light. They were dragging a limp Becker between them. The soldiers ducked out of the way as electricity shot from the locking device, sealing the anomaly. Something hit the floor as the shards of light sucked in to form a large, hovering orb. Sarah and the others pushed their way toward Becker, noticing the object lying beneath the anomaly as they passed. It was the severed arm of a Future Predator.

o0o

Becker was alive. According to the men who brought him in, he'd insisted on being the last through the anomaly. He'd run out of ammo just as the last few troops reached him with the Predators right behind. He'd jabbed at the first Predator with his empty gun and was swiped across the front by its claws, blacking out momentarily from the blow.

The soldiers had grabbed Becker and dragged him with them as the Predator reared for another attack, shouting for someone to lock the anomaly behind them. It had sealed just as the creature reached for them, slicing off its arm where the portal's barrier snapped into place.

Becker regained consciousness as the medics tended his injuries. His body armor had blocked most of the blow, but there was a nasty gash running from his jaw across his left check, and the arm he'd tried to block it with was fractured.

He smiled reassuringly at the concerned looks on the others' faces as the paramedics continued to make their rounds, thanking Sarah for insisting on backup this time.

As many of the troops as possible were treated where they were, but many – including Becker, Connor, and Abby – were sent to the hospital for further treatment. Lester had been notified of their return and met them there. Danny began explaining to him what had happened, having ridden to the hospital with Sarah.

He didn't know the whole story, however, and once the others were stitched up, they met in Connor's room and were questioned mercilessly. They ended up giving Lester a full report as Sarah listened intently to the retelling of the team's experiences.

When it had all been told and retold to the minutest detail, Lester sat in silence for a moment. "So Helen was planning to wipe out the human race," he said finally. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"She said it was the Arc's fault that the Predators escaped in the Future," Danny said. "Do you think Christine Johnson might've had something to do with that? She was always trying to muscle her way into the Arc and she was conducting experiments on Predators using the anomaly in her building."

"Whatever her involvement, we should know soon enough," Lester said. "All of Christine's research was sent to us when her operation was shut down. I have my people sifting through it as we speak. Should shed some light on exactly what that irritating woman was up to."

"We have some of Helen's technology, too," Connor said. "I have two of the handheld devices that can open anomalies, but they're both dead." He thought for a moment, then his face lit up as he remembered something. "When we saw Helen use the device at the campsite, she said the technology was simple. If I can take these things apart, I can build my own and make it compatible with modern components. I might even be able to access the devices' memory and find the time map." The excitement began to grow behind Connor's eyes as he started to plot out the project in his head.

"You're sure Helen destroyed the artifact?" Sarah asked him.

Connor nodded. "But she opened it first and we saw the map of anomalies. She loaded a route into the handheld device, so the information should still be there."

"We also have Helen's journal." Sarah said, joining in his excitement. "I studied it while you were gone. There are a lot of codes and diagrams I don't understand, but if we combine it with the information in Helen's devices and Christine's research we might be able to make some sense of it."

Becker hadn't said much since describing his part of the story, and now expressed his wishes to get back to the garage and assist in debriefing his men. Sarah offered to give him a ride and Danny went along to help pack up the locking device.

Lester watched them leave. "Suppose I should be getting on with work as well," he said, turning to Connor and Abby. "I'm feeling particularly generous now that I no longer have to abide Helen and Christine, so you two can have the rest of the day off. I assume you'll be needing a ride to my residence, Temple?"

"Nope," Abby interjected, "He's moving back home with me." She took Connor's hand. He stared at their entwined fingers in mild amazement, then looked up to her smiling face. His wide, infectious grin appeared and he tightened his fingers around hers.

Lester rolled his eyes. "Right, well, go home, heal up, get some rest and all that. I'll see you tomorrow morning at nine sharp. We have work to do."

-The End-


End file.
